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Furnace systems for the copper industry

ANDRITZ offers converter, melting and refining furnaces for primary and secondary copper production, as well as for the processing copper industry.

ANDRITZ Maerz supplies turnkey furnace systems for copper and precious metals metallurgy. The product range covers melting and refining furnaces for primary and secondary copper production, as well as for industries processing copper materials, such as cathodes and high-quality scrap.

Furthermore we offer converters for copper and precious metals refining. Optimized process technology enables the production of high-quality products in wire, tube, and format manufacturing, as well as the production of anodes for electrolysis.

Direct to wire

Direct-To-Wire is a fire refining technology for optimized production of liquid “fire-refined high-conductivity copper” (FRHC copper) for rod manufacture from copper scrap. The liquid FRHC copper can be used directly in the wire rod casting and rolling process. The technology is based on the long experience of ANDRITZ METALS in furnace construction and, due to its flexibility, can be installed either in existing or new copper rod production plants. Depending on the required production capacity, Direct-To-Wire can be realized with three different furnace concepts.

ANDRITZ METALS furnace concepts with Direct-To-Wire technology

240 to 600 t/d: Efficient hearth shaft furnace for melting in combination with two drum-type furnaces for refining and casting

40 to 300 t/d: Flexible tilting furnace for melting, refining, and casting, expandable by a second furnace

20 to 30 t/d: Drum-type furnace for melting, refining, and casting, expandable by a second furnace for minimum investment

In order to achieve optimum efficiency and cycle time, all ANDRITZ METALS furnaces are equipped with purging plugs and high pressure tuyere injectors in addition to other technical advantages.

Drum-type furnaces

Drum-type furnaces are mainly used for refining of liquid copper from upstream melting furnaces in primary and secondary metallurgy. They can be applied as anode furnaces and refining furnaces for copper rod or as Pierce Smith converters. Drum-type furnaces are also available in a design for handling solid scrap input. Capacities ranging from 20 to 630 t have been implemented.

Advantages of the drum-type furnace

Fast and efficient refining

Advanced and proven refining technology with submerged tuyeres

Solid and liquid input can be handled

Accurate dosage during the casting process by controlled rotation of the furnace vessel

Tuyere technology for gaseous and liquid reducing agents

Optimized production logistics in the plant due to simultaneous operation of two or more drum-type furnaces

Fine tuning packages

Engineering and equipment packages for modernizing and optimizing existing plants; These technology packages aim at increasing the metal yield and metallurgical efficiency, and at optimizing energy utilization by improving process technology.

Fine tuning packages include

Refining systems

Combustion systems with or without oxygen

Nitrogen purging systems

FEM calculations

CFD calculations

Advantages

Higher copper output

Production of high-grade copper

Shortened processing times due to higher process efficiency

Enhanced bath movement due to stirring elements specially arranged in the furnace

Optimized deslagging procedures due to specially arranged tuyeres

Better heat utilization due to optimized heat transfer

Shaft and hearth-shaft furnaces

For the efficient melting of different copper qualities, ANDRITZ Maerz offers shaft and hearth-shaft furnaces. The shaft furnace allows the melting of copper cathodes, anode residues, and high-grade copper scrap with very high energy efficiency. The high efficiency is achieved by the burner system with a single-burner control and optimized furnace geometry. The feedstock is charged into the shaft with a skip hoist. Burners are mounted radially around the lower shaft section, providing the melting energy. The waste gases travel upwards through the shaft to preheat the solid scrap in the upper part of the shaft. The liquid copper can be fed to the next process step by means of a ladle or launder.

The hearth-shaft furnace is additionally equipped with a hearth for holding, deslagging, and further treatment of the liquid copper. Thus, scrap of low quality can also be used. The molten copper is transferred via launders to refining furnaces. Production capacities up to 90 t/h can be achieved.

Advantages of shaft and hearth-shaft furnaces

Fast and continuous melting

Optimized thermal efficiency

Preheating of scrap material by the counter-current off-gas stream

Applicable for different scrap qualities

Tiltable reverberatory furnaces

The ANDRITZ METALS tiltable reverberatory furnace has been proven for the melting and refining of large quantities of lower-grade copper scrap in a single unit. Capacities have been implemented ranging from 50 up to 500 t.

Advantages of the tiltable reverberatory furnace

Fast and continuous melting

Fast, efficient melting of the copper due to optimized burner technology

Fast charging of scrap material

High-heat transfer rates to scrap and bath

High-quality copper output due to close process monitoring and efficient process

Quick and efficient reaction of the impurities in the copper due to direct blowing of the reaction agent through submerged tuyeres

Tilting system permits flexible operation in charging/deslagging and casting

Fast, reproducible process

Easy, reduced maintenance

Ease of operation reduces personnel costs

Environmentally friendly operating procedure due to off-gas hoods and slag, and after-burning chamber

Top Blown Rotary Converter

The MAERZ TBRC (Top Blown Rotary Converter) is a general purpose unit for the copper and precious metals production. A central feature of the Top Blown Rotary Converter (TBRC) is the constantly high melting and refining efficiency. Typical input materials include copper scrap of different qualities, precious metal-containing alloys from lead production, and anode slime from copper electrolysis. Depending on the task, different water-cooled lances are used for melting, oxidation and reduction.

High efficiency is achieved through the variable rotation speed of the vessel in combination with the use of oxygen technology. Due to rotation during the melting process, the hot lining is continuously turned underneath the cold charged material, leading to optimized heating efficiency. In addition, the refining process is accelerated by continuous mixing of the liquid bath. For casting or deslagging, the whole converter vessel can be tilted to cast into launders or ladles. Capacities ranging from 5 to 50 t and even more can be achieved by using different designs.